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How Intolerant!
by
Lt.-Colonel Richard Munn
“Have
nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather
expose them.” (Ephesians 5:11)
‘Tolerance’ is one of the most popular cultural mantras of our
day. Postmodern devotees esteem the virtually inalienable
right of all people to engage in every conceivable array and
range of belief and behavior. And yet ironically, self-same
proponents readily become ‘intolerant’ when others disagree
and advocate more codified behavior.
Christians are frequently the ones on the receiving end of
this defamation, and quickly lampooned as bigots. Tolerance
only goes so far, it seems.
Truth be told, we all function with a code of beliefs or
ethics, whether it is the fanatical Muslim, the promiscuous
homosexual or the conservative talk show host.
For Christians the value system is the Kingdom of God.
Saturating the New Testament are strong teachings that counsel
Christians to make the values of the Kingdom God and not the
values of the world the standard for their lives.
Such teaching flies in the face of conventional logic. It
always has; it always will. It is robustly ‘intolerant’ of
both evil and compromise. It is for the bold follower of Jesus
only.
For example, citizens of this Kingdom are to be distinct from
the following persona:
Loving themselves and loving money
Bragging and ingratitude
Dissing parents
Unforgiving and slandering
Unrestrained boundary lines
Conceited, pleasure-loving
The counsel is abrupt and quite shocking: “Have nothing to
do with them.” (2 Timothy 3:2-5) Not much tolerance here!
Such teaching heckles trendy laissez faire, situational
ethics. It does so because Jesus is ushering in a new set of
Kingdom ideals in a way that audaciously confronts secular
thinking head on.
So, exactly where should we be ‘intolerant’ to the values of
the world?
Richard Foster believes the answer is found our attitudes
towards ‘Money, Sex and Power.’ The obsessive capacities of
materialism, rampant erotomania and the lust for power are
painful examples of a world in turmoil. Instead, how you and I
live with regard to our money and possessions, our God-given
sexuality and our treatment of dependent people speaks volumes
concerning the veracity of our faith. It is no coincidence
that the classic monastic vows center on the enduring trifecta
of poverty, chastity and obedience. Those nuns and monks were
onto something.
Soldiers in the Salvation Army can embody the values of the
Kingdom of God by:
Giving to those who can never give back
Freely committing themselves to vibrant moral and ethical
lifestyles.
Caring for the outcast and serving the powerless
As such, and by God’s grace, they are set apart.
What an intolerant bunch!
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